The Regal Princess

For me, one
of the great joys in traveling is meeting people and sharing experiences
with them. During our travels, we have been blessed through the
relationships that we have established and continued to nourish. This
trip was no different...during our tour of China we had the good fortune
to be grouped with people that were extremely compatible and just plain
fun to be with. On the Regal Princess our bus, the Y3, bid and purchased
a horse for the big race. Jointly the group dressed the horse and cared
for the horse (a wooden facsimile to a horse that is) and while sipping
champagne in the owner’s box on the big day of the race, we cheered our
horse on to victory. The fact that we won almost two thousand dollars
didn’t matter at all (right!!!)...it was the camaraderie that really
counted.

And at dinner
we were fortunate to be seated with some of the most pleasant and caring
people that only made our journey that much more pleasant. Along the way
we also crossed paths with many other individuals that brought good times
to our travels.

The Regal
Princess is not a big ship by today’s standards and old compared to other
ships that are cruising the seas today. I thought it was a nice ship,
but it seems that Princess and maybe other cruise lines are starting to
cut corners and shaving services that were heretofore considered a regular
part of the cruising experience. Many of these changes became apparent as
soon as our cruise began, but unfortunately they were never discussed with
us or explained. In fact, there were many unhappy guests, but in the end
the good times come to the forefront and that is what we remember.
Another guest, when we were discussing the problems, called it
K-Mart cruising.

Our cruise
visited eight ports over the sixteen days voyage and while the ports
selected were excellent, the time in port was often much shorter than we
would have like or expected. Again, this may well have been a cost
factor, whereby the ship reduces its exposure to the port facilities
thereby keeping its costs down. I am not sure that I would ever book a
cruise on the Regal Princess again and I would be ever more careful in
getting details about shipboard facilities and port visits before I pay
for a cruise in the future. In any event, the staff on board the ship was
just outstanding and that made the trip a success.

All through
the trip, whether we were on land tour or making port visits from the
ship, many of the people were extremely concerned with shopping.
Sometimes, I thought that it was not the temples, Buddha's, museums, food
and getting up early that interested everybody...it was the shopping.
And everywhere we went, shopping was in the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Certainly, it was on the minds of the 400,000 vendors that stood before us
with outstretched hands no matter where we were. In this part of the
world, shopping (and selling) is a
significant part of the culture and it is very easy to get caught up in
the excitement of the moment and the conquest of the negotiation.

Tours in each
of the ports were available via the Regal Princess which we originally
selected but then decided we would rather check out the places of interest
on our own. Often it was more efficient touring on our own as we would
not have to wait for the return of all tour members, since some people
were caught up in the shopping process. Also, there was a sense of
adventure being out alone in a foreign city and learning the culture
directly from the people.

Pusan, Korea

Pusan is
located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsular and is our first port
stop. It is a major city, with a population of four million people and a
large ship building industry. It is also engaged in other industries that
are associated with automobiles and semi-conductors. A significant factor
in Pusan’s cultural development is the fact that it has a Starbuck’s
coffee shop...the second such great find on this trip.

We visited
the Pomosa Temple built in 678AD and destroyed in 1592 during a Japanese
invasion. This was one of many Japanese invasions and occupations of
southern Korea (forty years of Japanese occupation in the 20th
Century alone ended in 1945) and as such, there is no love lost by the
Koreans with regard to the Japanese. Korea has been a central place to
which early civilizations migrated and it has remained a meeting ground
for influences from other cultures in the region. During the Silla
Dynasty, known as Korea’s Golden Age, Koreans began a wholesale adoption
of Chinese political, religious and cultural institutions.

Later, we
visited the Cha-Gal-Chi Fish Market located down by the fishing docks.
Established by women fish peddlers, it is a market that comes to life
early morning as fresh fish and other delicacies of the sea are haggled
over by fisherman and wholesalers. It is not a formal market, fish and
other items are placed in buckets, pans and boxes on the floor or on low
tables, but it is most colorful and an interesting place to visit.

Pusan

Cha-Gal-Chi Fish
Market

Nagasaki, Japan

On our own,
from the dock, we had a short walk into the city area, where we picked up
a tram to the Peace Memorial Park. There is a large fountain at the park
and also a bronze peace statue built in 1955 that reflects on both the
threat of nuclear war and on tranquility and world peace. The park
memorializes the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki in August 9, 1945
where almost 74,000 people died and 75,000 people were wounded in the
blast.

We then
walked to the park that marks the epicenter of the bomb blast with a stone
monolith. We then visited the Samo Shinto Shrine, a one-legged Tori gate
that partially survived the blast. A short walk took us to the
International Cemetery that contains a “Hebrew” section which was
established in 1892. The Scottish born merchant, Thomas B. Glover is
buried there, but his home and gardens still stand on a hill well above
the port area. The Glover House, which we toured, was built in 1863 and
is one of the oldest examples of western architecture in Japan. In the
garden is a statue of Puccini with a butterfly on his shoulder, which
commemorates the opera “Madam Butterfly”, which takes place in Nagasaki.

Epicenter of the

Atomic Bomb

in Nagasaki

Shanghai, China

Of all the
cities that we visited, I enjoyed Shanghai the most...possibly because it
had such mix of old and new as well as a history and a future that we
could see and feel. It had a sense of excitement about it, where the
people that we interacted with seemed involved with the changes being
realized in China today. The harbor is what Shanghai is all about...the
old section of the harbor, the Bund, is an elegant picture of Shanghai
from times past...with beautiful buildings that are lit at night and
contrast with all the new and modern skyscrapers in the Pudong section of
the city across the harbor.

The Bund at Night

Pudong Section of
Shanghai

The old is represented not only by the Bund, but by the Old Town, with its
stores, restaurants, a Starbucks Coffee Shop (Who would have expected
anything less?) and the Yu Gardens. Yu Gardens is a five acre site in the
middle of Old Town, with rocks, a pond, plants, houses, gardens, dragon
walls....and it steeps with character. There are many museums that tell
of Shanghai’s past and its transition to a modern city. Shanghai’s port
is on the Huangpu River, which is at the mouth of the Yangtze which feeds
into the South China Sea. Shanghai is China’s door to the world of
commerce.

The newest part of Shanghai is the Pudong section across the harbor from
Old Town and is connected to the older sections of the city by a tunnel.
The Pudong section sports a brand new eighty-eight floor Hyatt hotel, the
468 meter Pearl TV Tower and a host of other modern skyscrapers. This
area is exceedingly populated with huge buildings none of which even
existed just a short ten years ago.

Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese during WWII, at which time there was
a Jewish ghetto comprised of 27,000 Jews that were fleeing the Nazis.
The Germans had requested that the Japanese exterminate the Jews in
Shanghai, but the Japanese refused and under the Fugu Plan in 1939, the
Japanese built a wall around the ghetto and limited the movement of the
Jews. We visited the Ohel Moshe Synagogue museum, which was a Russian
Ashkenazi synagogue in 1927. A caretaker provided a detailed history of
the synagogue and of the Jewish life in the city. We also visited a park
where the Beth Aharon Sephardic Synagogue once stood.

Some web addresses to Jewish sites related to Shanghai’s Jewish population
are as follows:

Today, there are sixteen million people living in Shanghai some in modern
housing developments and many nearer the inner city in very old homes,
most without any running water or inside bathroom facilities. These
structures are slowly being demolished and are being replaced with new,
modern high rise buildings. Our ship was in port for two days so we had
the opportunity to visit the Pearl TV Tower for a view of the city from
the observation deck and the Shanghai Historical Museum, had lunch and
shopped (what else) in Old Town, toured the Yu Gardens, and walked the
Bund area at the waterfront. We needed yet more time, but with such a big
city....there will never be enough time to fully learn and appreciate
Shanghai.

Old Town's Yu Gardens

Old
Homes in Downtown Shanghai

Hong Kong, China

Now that
Britain’s ninety-nine year lease of Hong Kong has expired and Hong Kong is
a part of China, it continues to maintain its own and distinct identity.
It even maintains its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar, and they
reluctantly accept the Chinese Yuan. It seems that if China is the
factory, then Hong Kong is the showroom. Complete with large, modern
skyscrapers that house financial firms, insurance companies, shipping
companies and more ...it has a pulse that appears to be primarily Western
in most respects.

Upon arrival
in Hong Kong, Lila took I took a ferry from Kowloon across the harbor and
walked to the Peak Tram for a sensational ride up to Victoria Peak, at
1800 foot the highest point in Hong Kong. The view was magnificent ....no
it wasn’t, because of the overcast sky I think we could see one hundred
feet. But, if the weather was clear, I am sure it would have been an
exceptional view. Back down the tram, we caught a bus ...a double decker
bus to Repulse Bay, the Aberdeen Fishing Village and of course, Stanley
Market. Stanley Market tries to be like the markets we had visited in
other parts of China, but it doesn’t make it....it did not even come
close, so we beat a hasty retreat.

Back across
the harbor to the Kowloon Section of Hong Kong, I made this amazing
discovery....another Starbucks coffee shop. This trip is really beginning
to shape up...imagine four Starbucks coffee shops in Southeast Asia ...it
doesn’t get any better than this. After a splendid cup of coffee, we head
on over to Nathan Road...a very upscale shopping area for the
tourists...well, at least they thought so. The difference here is that
they sell the real stuff at real stuff prices ...but is it real stuff or
is it knock off products that are sold as the real thing. They provide
genuine U.S. warranties for the products ...get real. They even have four
“authorized” Rolex watch stores on one block ....sure they are!

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Nha Trang is
a sea side resort that was popular for R&R with the American forces when
they were fighting in Vietnam. Today, it has lost its luster and while
the beach area is nice, all the streets in and around the beach area are
quite seedy. There were a few small hotels along the main road possibly
supporting some Asian tourist business.

We tendered in from the ship and were greeted by hordes of vendors and
rickshaw bicycles all wanting “one dollar” for their wares or services. I
made the mistake of acknowledging one of the rickshaw drivers and he
followed us over one mile, while we walked along the beach, hoping that we
would get into his “vehicle”. To get him to stop following us, I finally
gave him a dollar asked him to leave. He gladly did so with a smile and a
wave.

The weather was extremely hot and muggy in Nha Trang ...the
first time we had encountered such uncomfortable conditions, but then we
were heading south, and getting ever closer to the Equator. Not too much
to do or to see, so we headed back to the tender dock and to the ship
....and air conditioning.

Nha Trang
Seashore

Saigon, Vietnam

Saigon, or Ho
Chi Min City, is an extremely interesting city for me because of its
history to the long Vietnam War. The ship docked in Phu My, which was
about a two hour ride from Saigon and the drive into Saigon gave us a
picture of life today in this country. An exceptionally poor country
...the Vietnam villages along the road were filled with little shops in a
grimy, filthy air polluted milieu. The traffic was intense as bicycles,
motorbikes went every which way on the roads and competed for position
with the cars, buses and trucks ...sometimes they lost the fight, but most
of time it was a draw.

Arriving in
downtown Saigon, the air was close and the weather was hot and muggy. The
streets were teeming with traffic that does not stop...it just maneuvers
around you, if you have the pluck to just walk straight ahead in the face
of this oncoming attack. Many of the buildings dated back to an earlier
era ... architecturally they were exceptional designs and some are still
maintained quite well. There were gardens in the streets and a very
bustling business community with many people on the street selling to the
tourists and little Mom and Pop type shops selling tourist products as
well as local household items.

I was told
that Saigon, which it is still called that by the locals, is a better
place to live than Hanoi as it has a larger business community and hence
more jobs, as well as more universities and colleges. Some of the stores
were quite upscale ...we visited some just to get out of the heat for a
few moments. After walking around the downtown area for hours and
visiting some of the local markets to shop, we went to the Rex Hotel for
lunch.

The Rex Hotel
is infamous for the weekly press briefings by the U.S. Army during the
Vietnam War. It is an old line and very beautiful hotel that has retained
much of the character of an earlier time. We had lunch on the rooftop
restaurant in a very opulent and luxurious dining room. Then a long ride
back to Phu My to get back to the ship.

Saigon Street Scene

Singapore

We did not have much time to tour Singapore as is the case with cruise
ships, so my exposure to life there is limited. There is a gondola or
cable car adjacent to the cruise ship terminal that goes both to Mt Taber
and to Sintosa Park. Getting off the ship...we headed first to Mt Taber,
where we walked around the overlook for a view of both the city and the
harbor... After Mt Taber, we then headed to Sintosa Park (a Disney like
amusement area in a large park setting) where we completed a one mile
nature walk. From the Sintosa Park, we went back to the ship terminal
via the gondola and then an elevator down to ground level, where we caught
a bus into town.

The ship
terminal is also of interest as it is the center where a conference center
is being built and the terminal building also houses three levels of
stores and restaurants...a mall, a large mall by any proportion. And we
had to walk through the mall to get from the ship to the outside world and
then back again. The same technique used in most airports, it is an easy
way to spend local money and to shop for tourists and visiting dignitaries
like us. It seems that every country has learned how to uniquely separate
one's money from one’s wallet and Singapore has chosen a very
sophisticated approach. Bargaining or negotiating about price is limited
in Singapore.

Exiting the
terminal complex, our bus proceeded to Chinatown and we walked around the
narrow streets for a couple of hours watching the vendors selling their
wares and the people eating in the outdoor cafes ...fascinating. Again
it was quite warm and very muggy...we were now within one degree of the
Equator. We then grabbed a cab to little India...walked around and were
able to enjoy the ever present fragrance of curry and of various
perfumes..... marvelous. We were able to find an internet shop...had
some old computers with real small screens.

Then we hailed another taxi to the Raffles Hotel, the very posh and
renowned hotel ...unfortunately, they would not let me into the lobby
because I was wearing shorts ...the nerve of them, so we went around the
side to the Long Bar for a world famous Singapore Sling. I really
expected Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall to get up from one of the
tables at any moment. The room was filled with atmosphere and we happily
paid $10.00 for each Sling ....a great buy as we were hungry and thirsty
from the long day and the heat and humidity. As I had mentioned earlier,
the weather in Singapore was extremely close.

We then
walked down to Orchid Street, the center of Singapore’s shopping and hotel
district...it was Sunday and the stores were mostly closed, but the
streets were packed with vehicles and people...and we had a hard time
getting a taxi...had to get back to the ship....two people missed the
ship, one came out on a pilot boat and the ship had to move back to the
dock as it was leaving to retrieve one late arrival.

We did talk
with some locals...we were told that Singapore is a fine city...you get
fined for chewing gum, fined for crossing the street against the light,
fined for dropping trash on the ground, etc. It is a highly taxed state
and the locals seem to be very unappreciative of the government's strict
and tight control on their lives. To buy a car you must bid on a permit
to buy, if approved you pay almost twice the cost of a car in taxes and
after ten years the car must be discarded and the procedure repeated.

Evidently it
is very costly to live in Singapore and government controls make life
difficult for those who do not make big money. A cab driver told me he
must pay $6,000 Singapore dollars a year to the government just to work
his taxi besides having to pay a nice sum for the license. I thoroughly
enjoyed Singapore ...it is a picturesque city with quaint neighborhoods
and massive high rise buildings. Unfortunately, I did not have enough
time to truly discover the city and enjoy its culture. No question that
if I had more time I would have had another Singapore Sling.

Bangkok, Thailand

Getting off
the ship was easy ...it was the packing that was difficult. We had so
many clothes from our land and sea segments and getting everything back
into the suitcases was a real chore. But, it was time to head home...we
were ready or at least I was ready...steady emails from the grandchildren
telling me that they miss me and want me home only strengthened my need
and desire to see and be with them. It seems that the cities that we
visited are never where the ship docks and Bangkok was no different.
Arriving at Laem Chabang, we were bused initially to Nong Nooch Cutural
Village and Nature Park. We watched a folklore show with drummers,
dancers, a kick boxing demonstration, pole dancing and sword battle.

They also had a superb elephant show, where the elephants are trained to
play ball, paint pictures, etc. Lila and I also had the opportunity to
take an elephant ride ...something different and fun. We then walked
through their orchid and sculpture tree garden. After lunch we drove to
Bangkok and again I was astounded at the traffic and the crowds. For the
first time we saw little motorized golf cart like bikes with a double or
triple seat in the back for passengers ...called tuk tuks. They zip in
and around the traffic and seem dangerous, but are fun if you could stand
the exhaust in the already polluted air.

I very much enjoyed Bangkok ...the people are very warm and friendly, the
Thai food is excellent and the shopping is outstanding. Bangkok is a
shopping mecca, because of the knock off products for sale, the clothing
(suits made to order in less than twelve hours are delivered by a tailor
arriving on a motorcycle) and the orchids.

Thailand is a Buddhist country and so we paid our respects at the Golden
Buddha, five and ½ tons of gold with eyes made from mother of pearl and
black sapphires; the Emerald Buddha, carved from blocks of green jade; we
also toured the Grand Palace complex, a one square mile site encompassing
the King’s palace and a collection of official and ceremonial buildings
all topped by glittering spires and soaring finials decorated with gilt
and mother of pearl. The temples and official buildings are among the
most ornate and stunning structures in all of Southeast Asia.

We took a boat ride on the Chao Phraya River, that was adjacent to our
hotel and had an opportunity to see the real Bangkok, houses built right
on the edge of the water. Bangkok has been called the Venice of the east
because of the many canals and rivers which can readily flood into houses
bordering on their banks.

We visited the house of John Thompson, who came to live in Bangkok during
WWII and fell in love with the city and the country. He became a
distributor of hand painted silk fabric for which Thailand is noted and
built a house with exquisite artifacts and antiques. His house is
adjacent to a canal and is built on stilts to keep out the rising flood
waters.

We were in the Shangri La Hotel; an excellent choice for it had a great
location, beautiful grounds and award winning restaurants. We ate in the
Thai restaurant and were fortunate to have the best meal of the trip and
the opportunity to watch classical Thai dancing.

Well, the moment of truth came...the trip home, as I indicated earlier up
at 3:00am (that is just inhuman) for our 4:00am departure to the airport
and our thirty hour trip home. Arriving at 9:00pm, we were home only
thirty minutes when our grandsons arrived to greet us...a very warm
welcome ...they stayed the night and the next day as well. It took a
little while to recuperate from the trip, but we are happy to have had the
glorious experience of Southeast Asia.